Prismatic
by Hood Politician
Summary: Malcolm always dreamed of becoming a Pokemon champion. With his trusty Gligar hopping behind him, the Pokemon League was only a small roadblock in pursuing his dreams. OC!fic, a mix of the anime, games and the manga.
1. Prismatic

**-1-**

**Prismatic**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its affiliates. I am not profiting from this in any way, shape, or form, and this is purely a fan-made work.**

**This idea has always been on my mind in the past few months, and I always played around with the thought of making a Pokémon OC type adventure but was too scared. However, I said forget the fears that I have, it's now or never!**

**Just for warning, this fic is gonna have a few changes to it, and I won't spoil anything and I'll let the world building handle it, but it'll be a few years into the future, and as such, expect changes. For example, in this fic Agatha is going to be retired from her Elite 4 position due to her old age. Expect changes like that. Nothing SUPER drastic but things I'd consider relatively realistic.**

**This is an OC fic, however it is NOT an SI. This is purely an original character with his own struggles and sense of adventure. Perceive this how you will.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The room was silent. Not a hint of noise or energy was left, as if it was all sucked into a vacuum. The ceiling lights were off, the only source of light coming from the television set. All was peaceful.

Suddenly, with the force of one thousand suns, chaos erupted. "And that's it folks, with a stunning victory over Tracy's Electivire, this year's Silver Conference has been won by Ms. Alicia Soto and her tremendous team!"

The crowd of the championship arena seemed to have a collective roar to it, with impossible levels of noise being reached. He was sure that he would still be hearing the ringing in his ears at school tomorrow. He dreamed of this life.

He could picture it himself. The chanting and the collective applause as he were handed his Silver Conference trophy, his black hair matted down with glossy sweat from the heat of the battle. The screams and the audience praising his name to the very stars.

"Malcolm! Malcolm! Malcolm! Malcolm! Malco-"

"Malcolm… Malcolm!"

"Huh!" As soon as it appeared, he was kicked out of his day dream. Looking over towards his door, he saw his mother peaking her head in, a sly smirk on her face. Her dark hair was in a bun.

"Have a nice day dream?"

Malcolm rolled his eyes and shut the TV off.

"Get to bed, kiddo, you have school in the morning."

In return, he gave a rather childish pout.

"Can I please stay up for the Hall of Fame induction? Pretty please?"

His mother gave a small frown and shifted her head from side to side. "Mmmm, okay, _but _as soon as it is over, I want you in bed mister, do you hear me?"

He gave a fervent nod and offered a cheeky grin. "I love you, you are just the most amazing mom, did you know that?"

It was her turn to roll her eyes. "Don't push your luck child," she laughed. "and I love you too."

Leaving the room, Malcolm turned back towards the TV, turned it on, and tuned back in.

"Ms. Alicia Soto, headlined by her tremendous Venusaur, along with her amazing Arcanine, phenomenal Pinsir, powerful Poliwrath, exquisite Espeon, and stupendous Steelix, are entering the Johto Hall of Fame! It was a long journey, filled with grueling fights and countless heartbreaks, I'm sure, but today is a day for celebration! Let's look at the stats for her Pokémon in the tournament. Starting with her starter, Venusaur, he had..."

That night, Malcolm had dreamed of his own adventure again. He hadn't ever experienced such a deep sleep.

* * *

The first thing to greet him that morning, aside from the monotony of breathing, was his blaring alarm. He slammed it off. He put on his school clothes. Then, following his school clothes, were his school shoes, followed by his school backpack.

He glanced briefly at his calendar. There was a hesitant, almost cautionary gleam of hope in his eyes, but as fast as it appeared, it was cast away. He was slowly edging towards the big day, only a few more months left until it could finally happen.

Taking a leave from his bedroom, he did his daily morning rituals and sat down in the mesh of a kitchen and dining room and started to snack on some toast. His mother popped out suddenly from the living room. "Your brother and sister called. Said they'll be flying out for your middle school graduation."

Malcolm swallowed a particularly large piece of burnt bread. "Aren't they really busy with their programs? I'm flattered but I don't know if it's necessary." He took a sip of his beverage.

"Their program advisers gave them three days off. They said they'll arrive early in the morning of the graduation, then take the next two days after to catch up and celebrate. They said they got you some gifts."

"I'd hope they did, I only graduate middle school once."

His mother rolled her eyes. As quickly as she did, a more serious look crossed her vision. "Still thinking of becoming a trainer?" Malcolm only gave a tight nod; a steely gaze being emitted.

"I'm not changing my mind about this, it's what I want."

She raised her hands in a placating manner, not wanting to anger him anymore. "Okay, okay, grumpy gills, just thought I'd ask."

After a few more minutes of idle talk, Malcolm made his way to school, his mind constantly drifting towards more battle related themes instead of school related themes. He didn't particularly care, it was almost graduation, one more week to be exact, and he was proud to say he was ready to leave his house and become a trainer.

Despite dealing with constant backlash, he was absolutely certain this was the best idea for him.

* * *

Malcolm, with a great yawn, rolled out of bed and stretched a bit, his Charizard-themed pants becoming crumpled as he switched into more public clothes. He did his morning rituals, and went downstairs.

"CONGRATULATIONS MALCOLM" was spelled out in ginormous letters, billowing slightly due to the open window. He saw his immediate family, including his visiting older brother and sister. Dad, mother, older brother and sister, and two younger sisters. Small family.

"How are you doing birthday boy? It's the big day!" His father said with a mighty chuckle. He knew fully well it wasn't his son's birthday, but still insisted on making the same joke he did on every big occasion.

Malcolm rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, but he couldn't fight the smile that was creeping on his face. He was free. It was his time to make his mark.

"How does it feel to be entering the real world, kiddo?" His older brother said, a calm yet knowing grin plastered on his face. It was mysterious, yet revealing all the same. It was the smile of someone who knew _exactly _the feeling that was coursing through his mind at that moment.

"I'm ready to be league champion, I can say that. Don't worry though, once I'm rich and famous I won't forget you guys." Everyone laughed at that one, and the day was set once more.

His graduation was set for six in the evening, and while he had plenty of offers from private schooling due to his grades, his heart was set on exploring the world. If his well-worn and creased Pikachu plush was anything to indicate, a child's dream was far too strong to mask.

Mind wide open, eyes filled with curiosity, the perfect day would soon arrive.

Malcolm was still unsure about what starting Pokémon he wanted. Totodile. Cyndaquil. Chikorita. He liked Cyndaquil the most, but deciding a starting Pokémon was very strenuous plotting, and he needed to formulate a proper team around his starter if he wanted to become league champion someday.

Totodile, the crocodile Pokémon. Or alligator? A mixture of both? Whatever it categorized under, he thought it was a pretty decent option. Known for their ferocity and loyalty for their trainer, a properly trained Feraligatr was regarded as one of the strongest 'starting' Pokémon starters out of all of the regions.

Chikorita…

Chikorita is the last resort, is all Malcolm could say. Wasn't biased against it, but wasn't particularly partial to it, either. Chikorita is Chikorita. Nothing more, nothing less.

…that was, until his parents told him that he wouldn't be receiving a typical starting Pokémon, but instead would be picking a Pokémon up from a shelter. While it wasn't a _bad _option per se, it certainly wasn't what he had been expecting.

Truth be told, most trainers started out with a usual starter, but due to new regulations being enacted by the International Pokémon League, more and more variation of Pokémon were now an option for starters instead of the usual assortment.

These policies were ultimately attempting to motivate trainers to expand their tastes and wishes and adopt a more open-minded approach to Pokémon training and, fundamentally, raising Pokémon. While you could still obtain a 'starter', it wasn't your only option.

Regardless, he wasn't out of the water yet, he still had to graduate.

* * *

The car ride back to his house was silent. His middle school diploma rested softly on his lap. His eyelids occasionally rested softly before popping back open wider than before. Small yawns escaped his dying breaths, but his lucidity remained relatively intact all the same.

Finally reaching his house, the celebration began once more. Music, blue balloons, party streamers, a nice stack of wrapped presents, but most importantly, a cake! It was a light shade of celeste, with red décor throughout, giving it a nice contrast.

The cake was delicious. Being the graduating boy, he got the first slice of said cake, it was only right. He ate it slowly, appreciating being around his family, knowing it was only temporary for the time.

The room was filled with good natured, jolly laughter, but the underlying tension was beginning to rear its ugly head. It wasn't noticeable in an extreme manor, but Malcolm was aware of it all the same. The walls were beginning to crumble.

He was pulled aside by his two older siblings, with his older sister holding a backpack. It had multiple pockets on it. It was a regular black bag with dark blue zipper lining on it, and ironed on the front of it was a regular red and white Pokéball.

"We figured a bag would be a necessity for an up-and-coming trainer like yourself," his sister said, her sly wink telling the entire story. "and we slipped three things in here, but be careful about how you use them, they were a pain in the ass to get."

Unzipping the largest pocket of the bag, Malcolm dug his hand into the crevice and crept around. It was certainly more spacious than he thought it would be, not that he was complaining. His hand briefly grazed a rather warm and smooth surface, and he gripped the object to pull it out. It was a stone of some form, glowing a bright and fiery shade. It felt warm to the tough in his palm, and almost felt as if it was pulsating.

"A Fire Stone? How much did this run you?" Malcolm said with his eyes much wider than usual, a tone of gratitude in his voice. It wasn't often you were gifted an extremely rare and valuable evolutionary item.

"Don't worry about the cost, kiddo, just know we expect you to be very careful with how you use them, alright?" His older brother said sternly. Malcolm could only nod.

Then he focused on the wording of his sentence.

"Wait, if this is _one _item, then what are the other two?"

"Well, to match that stone, we had to get a Water and Leaf stone, of course."

"What?!"

* * *

It was currently 1:28 A.M, Centralized Johto Time. Despite the softness of the moonlight peering down at him, Malcolm couldn't help but toss and turn in place. He wasn't sure about what he was going to do. A clock chimed softly.

For years he had envisioned the day that he'd become a trainer, it was his only comfort in harsh times, and yet, now that the day was rapidly approaching. Hell, Malcolm wasn't sure what he wanted at all. His mother was probably right, when looking back on it. College was probably the best for him, he was smart enough to make a career out of something he wanted. He was always good with science.

Rolling over to look at his bedside poster, it was a hard pill to swallow. In theory, he could easily back out now and admit that he is being irrational, that's certainly true.

"_But I don't want to be here anymore."_

He glanced back up at the ceiling. Giving a frustrated growl, he threw his pillow across the room, having deemed it too warm to use, the other side damned.

"_At least dad is supportive enough. Shelled out a few thousand for my starter."_

That was another aspect that had him worried. His starter. Or, more accurately, his lack of knowledge about his starter. His parents were keeping it a surprise from him, but guaranteed it would be worth the wait and that they wouldn't send him all willy-nilly into the world without proper protection.

While he was eternally thankful, he was still somewhat apprehensive to the idea that his Pokémon-illiterate parents would be choosing his permanent companion for him. He'd much prefer to have a choice in who accompanied him, but he understood that being allowed into the world to become a trainer was a blessing in itself. Still, some choice would have been nice.

Barely any time had passed. The paperwork had been thorough, and had halfway bored him to death, but he supposed that becoming a legal guardian of condensed potential superweapons would do that.

0202134\. His Trainer Identification Number, or TIN. Assigned once he finished the online coursework and was verified to be able to purchase and train a Pokémon from a verified distribution location.

He was a Trainer. A rookie Trainer, but a Pokémon Handler regardless. He had made it to the big time now, and he wasn't going to back away from the challenge.

* * *

Malcolm and his father pulled up to the distribution center they ordered their shipment from, and parked the car. Walking together, his father chuckled to himself.

"Your mother was very against this whole idea, as you know," he started, drawing Malcolm's attention, "of course, I didn't particularly care, seeing as you are grown enough to make your own decisions."

Malcolm nodded. "I appreciate it, dad, I really do. I promise I'll make you proud, and won't waste this."

At hearing this, his father gave his son a side look, before rubbing his son's hair affectionately, messing it up. "If only you knew how proud I already am of you, son."

The automatic doors slid open, and they both walked in, a bell chiming from somewhere in the store. The help desk appeared to be deserted, but seeing as the store was otherwise empty, they assumed the sound was to indicate that someone entered.

The help desk had a few monitors set up, with an open walkway directly behind and to the right of the desk. The center itself had a nice, polished identity to it. There was a plain black rug in the middle, covering a portion of the Oak flooring. In the corner was a fish tank with a few water Pokémon that he wasn't quite sure of.

From the walk way a woman was produced. She was rather pretty, in Malcolm's eyes.

"Hi, welcome, how may I help you?"

Malcolm's father offered a pleasant smile. "I'm here to pick up a Pokémon starting order? Order under Jonathan Payne?"

The receptionist typed on her computer for a moment and looked up. "Do you have a confirmation number, and some identification?"

His father pulled out both his wallet and his phone and scrolled for a bit. "Confirmation Number 4510, and here you go." he said, handing over his license. She scanned it for a moment and handed it back.

A moment of pause floated in the air. Malcolm glanced around the lobby and inspected some of the artwork. It had a very regal, yet homey feel to it. A lot of artwork and photography of different climates and environments was the main feature, but a few paintings of different artistic interpretations of legendary Pokémon were hanging around occasionally.

"Thank you, I'll go grab the Gligar and the PokéDex, I'm assuming Malcolm is the trainer? If the order information is anything to go by."

Gligar? Had he heard of that Pokémon before? It didn't sound TOO familiar, but he would at least trust his dad enough. It was a Pokémon that the League had approved as a starting-caliber Pokémon, so it couldn't have been bad. It passed all the protocols and inspections, anyways.

After a few moments of waiting, the woman came back with a black little device and a standard red and white Pokéball. She handed him the device and he watched as it blinked to life.

"If you are unfamiliar, which I doubt because you finished the course, this is a PokéDex. You can use it to scan unfamiliar Pokémon, research different areas you are traveling, search up information about the Pokémon you are currently training, and can be used for identification purposes at locations such as Pokémon centers and PokéMarts. It's very important, try not to lose it."

Malcolm glanced over it a few times. "What if I do lose it?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Ultimately, it's not the end of the world if you do, it's just a pain in the rear end for Pokémon officials to deal with. As long as you have your TIN, can answer some security questions, and complete a DNA test, you'll receive another PokéDex. You'll more than likely have to pay a fine, however, unless the League designates that the circumstances were out of your control."

Malcolm nodded and slid it into the side pocket of the backpack he brought along. It was a powerful tool, and he'd be sure to keep hold of it and protect it. It wouldn't do him any good to secure such a useful item only to find himself coughing up money to replace it.

She cleared her throat, drawing his attention back. "This," she said, holding up the Pokéball, "is your starter, Gligar. Have you ever heard of a Gligar?" Malcolm thought about it for a moment before he shook his head in denial.

"Gligar was approved to be a starting-caliber Pokémon around three months ago, so the species is relatively new, but they are world-renown defensive titans when evolved into Gliscor. This little bugger is about six months old, give or take, which is about when they get out of the baby phase and start to gain a little bit of fighting spirit in them, instead of relying on Mama Gliscor to handle all the dirty work." She chuckled a little at her own joke, apparently proud.

"Your parents made a very good choice with Gligar. I'll give you some time to become familiar with the little guy, maybe try out your PokéDex and get comfortable with it."

She handed him the Pokéball and walked away, motioning for his dad, who had been quiet the whole time, to follow. He nodded briskly and took a glance at his son. "We'll be right outside. Don't worry, take your time, make sure he is comfortable with you, just like you are with him."

They turned around and left the room, and Malcolm glanced down at the Pokéball. It felt a lot heavier than he was expecting, but he wasn't sure if that was the nervousness finally settling in or if it was the fact that he was finally becoming a Pokémon trainer like he always wanted.

It had felt so far away at the time of becoming a certified handler, but this moment had honestly crept up on him like a sack of bricks. While that analogy didn't make sense, it was applicable enough.

Breathing a heavy breath, he pushed the button on the Pokémon and watched as the red signal energy burst to life, a temporary flash of light momentarily blinding him. When it cleared up, he looked down at the creature in front of him.

It was a weird pinkish color, with hints of purple running over it. It had two… head spikes? Appendages? At the base of its head, raising toward the roof, about a few inches long each. Its claws were rather sizeable, as was the stinger in the back. Two white, pristine fangs settled themselves from the top of its mouth, resting casually outside of its mouth. Its pink tongue hung there casually.

The creature- _Gligar_, he mentally corrected, was staring at him curiously. It wasn't apprehensive, or fearful, just curious, leading Malcolm to believe it was aware that it would become a starting Pokémon. If anything, it had been accustomed to socializing with humans before. It took a casual hop towards Malcolm.

Crouching down to appear less in size, Malcolm tried his best to smile. "Hey little buddy, how are you?"

Gligar crooked its head and growled, but it wasn't threatening. At least, Malcolm didn't _think _it was threatening. It sounded neutral. It took another hop towards Malcolm.

"I'm your trainer. My name is Malcolm. This might be a little awkward for the both of us, as I'm your trainer," shit, he had already said that. "sorry, you are my first Pokémon, so I haven't done this either, so we both are gonna be learning as we move ahead. I'm gonna scan you and see what kind of info you have, is that okay?"

Gligar blinked momentarily before nodding, its tongue still lolling casually outside its mouth. It seemed to have a goofy grin on its face, watching as the trainer in front of it took out a black device from his backpack.

Malcolm flipped the device on once more and began to scan the Pokémon, the robotic voice rattling off the information.

"_Gligar, the Fly Scorpion Pokémon. Gligar glides through the air without a sound as if it were sliding. This Pokémon hangs on to the face of its foe using its clawed hind legs and the large pincers on its forelegs, then injects the prey with its poison barb. This Pokémon is: Male. It currently knows the moves: Poison Sting, Sand Attack, Harden, Knock Off, and Quick Attack. Its ability is Sand Veil, which allows it to move quicker in sandstorms."_

A damn good starter, if he had to say. While he was good with the hypotheticals of battling, the theory, actually applying it in a live stress situation would be another matter entirely.

Sure, he had watched countless hours of Pokémon battles, championships, various tournaments that people traveled to and participated in worldwide, but they had experience. They knew what they were doing. He was fresh off the chopping block. Fresh meat.

Malcolm took another look at Gligar, a male of its species, in front of him. It still had that same grin on its face, inspecting Malcolm. "You seem to be very strong for such a young fella, huh?" Malcolm said with his own matching grin, watching as Gligar bounced excitedly in front of him. It seemed to match his spirit at least.

Malcolm stumbled a bit as the Gligar hopped with ease onto his shoulder, wrapping the stinger around his body for support. It wasn't applying any choking or restrictive force, just resting itself. He seemed to have taken a liking to Malcolm.

"You and I, buddy, we are gonna take the world by storm, I promise. We'll be phenomenal together. What do you say, interested in joining a rookie trainer like me?"

Gligar gave an excited chatter and licked Malcolm's face, causing him to giggle. "_Oh yeah_", he thought, "_I could get used to this._"

* * *

**Hey all, I'm back. Kinda. I still am gonna update the other Naruto story, don't worry, that isn't gone. I'm just trying my hand at another story. This has been in development for awhile now, but I only got around to uploading now lmao. I'm typing this final note at seven in the morning, having worked on it all night, just to finally get a chapter of this accursed story online. Now, for a few notes about changes.**

**Yes, I'm aware Gligar belongs to a two-evolution line and not a three-evolution line, and I figure that this wasn't a big deal. It's still a** **simple Pokémon, not too strong, not too weak, a relatively solid choice, in a hypothetical, for a starting trainer. I don't plan on having Malcolm be extremely strong, but he'll have a few powerhouses on his team**

**I think I'll have tournaments be a big part of the world in this. Not the main focus of Malcolm's journey, but let's be real for a moment, if Pokémon existed, Pokémon battling would be a HUGE money maker akin to eSports, and how they travel around the world to tournaments. I just think that is how things would progress naturally. Of course, harsh and thorough regulations would be enacted, make no mistake.**

**I'm not expecting a huge reception to this, as with all stories, this is a side project, something to work on to escape my day life. I just wanna say I love and appreciate all my readers!**

**Until next time.**


	2. Wandering Spirits

**-2-**

**Wandering Spirits**

* * *

"_When analyzing the different myths and legends surrounding Johto and the different cultural folklore and tales passed down throughout generations of different sub-societies, there appears to be a common theme, a connecting presence despite having never been confirmed._

_Roughly one hundred and sixty years ago, at the time of writing this, the aforementioned rumors indicate that there were two towers located in Ecruteak City, the Bell Tower (re: or Tin Tower, depending on who is asked), and the Brass Tower, homing both Ho-Oh and Lugia, respectively. _

_While there is no outlying evidence to support the claims of this, only conjecture and hypotheticals from different accounts of the locals, the most commonly accepted theory is that these towers homed many different species of Pokémon, and was widely, albeit unofficially, accepted as a sanctuary for endangered. _

_Reports from the time period have never supplied an 'official' reason why the Brass Tower went up in flames and left behind the husk that still stands to this day, but one thing, all throughout these tales, is certain._

_Three unidentified Pokémon were taking refuge in the Brass Tower specifically, and when it burned down and took the lives of these Pokémon in particular, there was an answer for the prayers in the night._

_Before disappearing for many years to follow, the three Pokémon were revived in what many historical books called a 'light show', and some even claimed that the intensity of the lights were so bright that it left the direct viewers with burned vision for the rest of their days._

_And in the midst of that light show, there was one Pokémon responsible. The legendary Rainbow Pokémon itself, the Guardian Phoenix, Ho-Oh._

_And its eyes were said to glow with the intensity of a thousand suns."_

_Dr. Janet Marrow, "Exploring the Myths and Legends of Johto, Vol. 1, chapter 3."_

* * *

The car rideback was relatively neutral. Malcolm and his father made small discussion about the Gligar currently holding its head out of the moving window, and the shady trees passing by reminded him that it was all soon going to disappear.

Wiping sweat he didn't realize was building up, he attempted to calm his now racing heart down. This wouldn't help, he had to remain stable, to show he had strength in his decision to travel.

Alone.

With many wild Pokémon and unknown people, out there.

Yes, this was fine, surely.

His father glanced over and grimaced silently. "You know, Malcolm, you _can _wait on traveling. You don't have to leave as soon as possible, why not wait a little?"

Malcolm threw his eyes onto his father, silently asking him to continue. "Well, I'd say take some time at home to grow accustomed to what your Gligar can do on its own. Build trust with it, maybe route where you want to go and what sights you want to see before taking on the gym challenge. This is all a big decision so you should decide in advance what you want to do."

Pondering what he was just told, it made sense. Of course, he wasn't going to go out into the world _alone _and _unprepared_ just to get away, absolutely not, but Malcolm did have some ideas.

"Are we still opening an account in my name at our credit union? For a debit card?"

His father tapped the steering wheel a few times and clicked his tongue, his way of acknowledging it. "We have an appointment tomorrow, yes."

Malcolm nodded silently and yawned a little bit. "I think I'll leave in a week, gives me seven days to jot a rough sketch of where I want to go and gives me time to rest, and above all else, see what Gligar can do."

"Now _that _sounds like a plan to me, kiddo."

* * *

Their backyard was relatively spacious. There were four decently sized trees, having been rooted in place for a number of years. The scratch marks left on the concrete walkway held countless amounts of stories about the different shenanigans the residents of the house got into.

Currently, Malcolm and Gligar were eyeing the bulkiest tree available to them. Notebook in hand, with a pen ready to take notes, he pointed at the tree.

"Gligar, use Poison Sting for me."

The Pokémon hopped with some surprising speed, and readying the large stinger it had, now dripping with a pale, disgustingly purple toxin, it stabbed the tree, leaving a small, but noticeable, dent in the bark. The poison laid restlessly on the bark.

Malcolm checked off that move.

"_Now, assuming Sand Attack requires physical sand, or at least some form of earth that is used to blind, I would need to test that later. Harden would be useless as well right now, mainly because it would put stress on Gligar's body and I'd prefer to save that for a battle."_

Scrolling across the list of attacks the Dex said Gligar had access to, he saw his last two potential moves, as of the current date. Knock Off, and Quick Attack. Knock Off in this instance would be functionally useless, as there was no target that had an item on hand to be made an example of.

Malcolm tapped the side of his notes with his pen. "Alright, Gligar, use Quick Attack on the tree." Malcolm watched, with apparent interest, as his pink bat absolutely _struck _across the yard and hit the tree. He didn't disappear from eyesight, he wasn't that fast, but he essentially flew.

"Gligar, wait here." Gligar just nodded.

Walking back through the doorway into the house and navigating to his older sister's temporary room, he glanced around the room.

"Whatcha want?"

"Do you mind if I borrow your video camera real quick?"

She glanced up from her paperwork and gave an inquisitive look. "For what?"

"I wanna test something with my Pokémon. I know I can slowdown the video after, and I wanted your opinion on something related to Gligar's physiology."

At that, his sister gave an all-too familiar smirk. "Conducting research about the different aspects of Pokémon already, huh? Yeah, sure, hold on." She rummaged through her belongings and handed him the device.

Malcolm went back to Gligar, who was in the process of climbing up a tree. Upon seeing his trainer return, Gligar effortlessly glided back to Malcolm's side, wagging his tongue around. Malcolm pet his head and began to set up the video recorder so that it had a horizontal, straight view of both Gligar and the target tree.

"Alright buddy, try Quick Attack again, this time as fast as you can possibly go!"

Gligar nodded and glared at the tree, before dashing forwards in the blink of an eye and slashing the tree, leaving a moderate amount of bark resting on the ground, broken and bruised.

Malcolm nodded in satisfaction. "Alright Gligar, let's take a break for now. Drink some water, I'll be back in a little bit."

Picking up the device, he returned to his sister's room, who had pre-emptively set up her laptop. "I have the video."

She stuck her hand out expectantly, waggling her fingers. He gave her the recorder, sitting on her bed, resting his legs a bit.

After uploading the information and playing it twice through, she glanced over at him. "What do you want to know, _exactly_?"

Malcolm took a moment to think. "Well, I was mainly curious about how a normally, _ahem_, not-so-speedy Pokémon like Gligar can gain immense speed, even only momentarily?"

His sister gave a click of her tongue, tapping her chin. "Well, humor me and give me what you _think _before I give my thoughts on it?"

Malcolm glanced over some of the tentative notes he took, collecting his thoughts before he shared them. His sister, while a newly-budding scientist in her own right, was more centered towards how Pokémon migrated, found new environments to nest and breed, and how their bodies adapted to their new area.

Taking that into note, he started to ponder the idea from her perspective, or at least, attempted to ponder it from her viewpoint. Gligar, and by extension, their evolutions, were far from the fastest Pokémon in forest and mountain habitats. They relied more on night-stalking and stealth to consume their prey, not outright brutal combat or outlasting their opponents physically.

Based off that knowledge, he figured that Gliscor had to get in, attack, and get out before a proper retaliation could be struck. Using their natural gliding affinity via their wings, Malcolm deduced that they would use the wind backing them to propel their bodies forward for a rushing attack. But one thing about that didn't make sense.

When his Gligar used the move outside, he started from a stationary position, and still had a great deal of sudden, burst-like speed. Hence, using wind to enhance their movement made no sense, at least in this context.

"I'm going to say, at least the way Gligar used it, he used his leg and pincher muscles to propel himself forwards at high speeds, but in the context that wild Gligar and Gliscor might use it, they use the winds surrounding them when they glide to increase their attack speed and then use their leg muscles to escape."

His sister gave a slow clap, grinning wildly. "That's essentially the same answer I would have given you. I haven't researched much particularly about the Gligar line, but from what I could tell based off what mom and dad looked up, that sounds about correct."

Grinning to himself, Malcolm laid down on her bed, closing his eyes. Suddenly, he heard the door close. Glancing up, he raised his eyebrow. Whenever his sister did this, it meant she wanted to discuss something important.

"Be honest with me, Malcolm, you aren't doing this _just _because you want to be a trainer, huh? What do you want to accomplish traveling?"

She only heard a sigh in return. "I want to accomplish _something_. I don't know what yet, but I want to prove myself to mom. She doubted me this whole time, saying I don't know what I want and to stay in school like you and Chris. I want to _be _my own person."

Tapping her fingers curiously onto her wooden desk, she shrugged. "And you think she's fully against you? If she was, she wouldn't have allowed you in the first place. I know you think dad is the reason this is happening, but ultimately if she wasn't okay with it, it wouldn't have happened."

She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in. Birds chirped outside. "I'll just say be a little bit easier on her, okay? She loves you a lot, and both Chris and myself never got this chance, and I know for a fact Chris wanted to be a trainer just as bad, _if not more_, than you did. Keep an open mind for me, will you?"

The birds chirped again in the distance.

All Malcolm could do is nod.

* * *

Sitting down with his trusted map of the Johto region, Malcolm traced different paths and sights he could visit while attempting the Gym circuit. Gligar was hanging off of the living room ceiling fan, currently upside down.

The clock read eleven in the evening. The local Poochyena that habituated the local wildlands were currently howling, and it seemed some of the bug Pokémon chirped extra loud in retaliation.

He glanced up at Gligar. "Our closest gym is _technically _the gym found in Violet City, and would be roughly a five or six day walk from here, assuming we don't have any hiccups. Are you okay with that?"

Gligar merely huffed in return.

"Right, you don't really walk. Well, in that case, it's settled. I figure I'd loop back around to Ecruteak and then hit up Mahogany for their badge. Normally Blackthorn is reserved for your sixth, seventh or eighth badge, so I'll wait on going there until I have AT LEAST five badges. Hopefully by the time I reach Mahogany City I have enough saved up to take a monorail or subway train back to Olivine or Goldenrod. How do you feel Gligar?"

Gligar lolled his tongue and flapped his wings a bit. "Sounds good to me."

Flipping back to his notebook, he began to scribble down some ideas, with "Pokémon squadron" written hastily at the top, and "Gliscor Ground/Flying" written under it directly.

"I'd like a Gengar at some point, but I'll take whatever I can get honestly. Gliscor," Gligar popped his eyes open at the name of his evolution, and glided down from the fan. "is more of a 'utility' Pokémon, known for their defense. Maybe I'll look for a second defense Pokémon and then some heavy hitters after that. I'm not sure yet."

Putting that away, he glanced at his starter, who was nibbling on one of the cinderblocks his father bought to help stimulate Gligar in his growing stage. "We start the Gym circuit in August, which blanked my mind until about two days ago. It's currently the middle of July. You ready buddy?"

Gligar gave an energetic nod and started hopping around the room, his stinger waving wildly. His eyes appeared to light up and he was having a hard time controlling his wings. Malcolm matched his excited energy and rubbed his head.

They were ready to conquer the Gym challenge. Well, maybe not conquer.

But they would succeed, one way or the other.

That much he knew.

-E

Filling out any final paperwork, Malcolm glanced over casually at his new debit card. His dad and mother were in front of him, staring at him expectantly. Malcolm put down the paperwork and looked up.

"This is your debit card. Please, for the love of God, Malcolm, don't lose it. Now, you have a set amount and allowance from your father and I, okay? We know that journeying throughout Johto won't be cheap, but try to ration your money as best as possible."

His dad coughed lightly. "However, while I agree full-heartedly with that, also don't be afraid to ask us for more money if required, okay son? I know you are filling out the paperwork for the League Income, but we are your parents, and obviously we want you to be safe, especially if you are traveling alone."

Checking out the simple black and white design on the card, Malcolm read the information on the back and grinned in satisfaction. "What is my limit?"

"Well," his mom began with some hesitation." "ever since you voiced your dreams of being a Trainer, your father and I started saving up some side money from every paycheck. We currently have $6,000 saved for you, and we figure that a weekly allowance of $300-500, with $300 being the soft-limit and $500 being the hard-limit is mostly fair, do you agree?"

Malcolm nodded again and put his card into his wallet. Well, taking his sister's advice couldn't be the _worst _idea.

"When the League Income is processed, Rookie Trainers will get an additional $400 a month in addition to the $500 a week, for a total of $600 a week for trainer stuff, I think I'll be fine. Thank you, guys, really, especially you mom, because I know how tough it was for you to make this decision for me."

His mom's eyes softened _just a fraction_, and if that was any indication, it meant a whole lot more than she let on. "Thank you, that really does mean a great deal, I just want you to be happy, son."

His father nodded silently, albeit in approval, behind his mother, giving him a thumbs up, and when his mother glanced away, Malcolm gave a salute in return.

"You are gonna leave soon, where is the first spot you wanna go?"

Turning down his headphones just a little, he flipped out his map and unfurled it. "I want to hit up Violet City first, then flip back around and head over to Ecruteak. It just makes the most sense, but maybe I'll go to Olivine instead of Mahogany."

His father nodded in understanding; his eyebrows crunched in apparent scrutiny at the plan. "I'll make you a deal, kiddo. If you come back with your first gym badge and at least a second team member, I'll take you shopping at the local Trainer store and buy you a TM for Gligar, alright?"

Shaking the offered hand with exuberance, Malcolm couldn't keep the flame out of his eye. "You are on, old man!"

* * *

Packing any extra clothes into his backpack, tying his shoes extra tight, and finally, icing out his water bottle, Malcolm could finally say he was ready to leave.

Slugging the backpack over his shoulder, this was his time. Every day training Gligar. Every moment going over battle strategy and running different risk and reward theory-crafting. It was all leading up.

Standing outside his door, he had already said his goodbyes to his family. His older brother and sister had long left to go back into their studies for post-college careers. His parents had given him their blessing many times over. His little sisters had already said goodbye in their own ways.

He was ready.

Gligar was relaxing his body on their house fence, basking in the warm sunlight. It was roughly ten in the morning, and the Gym Circuit, and by extension the Johto League, had begun two days ago. He had spent the last two days mentally preparing.

Walking past the gate, Gligar and him began their trek to Violet City, where the Zephyr waited for them.

Entering the route that led them to Violet City, it didn't appear to be super dense with foliage. The scuttling of Pokémon surrounding the adjacent forest didn't deter him, however, and him and Gligar pressed forward.

Walking deeper into the route, Malcolm saw a few trainers occasionally but didn't challenge any of them to a battle. If he was being honest, he was rather nervous to battle an actual human being.

He had seen the Silver Conference battles a thousand times. He had studied the World Championships over and over and over and over until he could recite every piece of commentary and analysis in perfect tone and pitch. He had glued his eyes to every public video uploaded of gym leaders battling each other, and yet he never pictured what it would be like for a rookie trainer like to him to actually take the wheel and fight in a Pokémon battle like he would when he eventually-

Okay, _slow down_. Stressing over the possibility of a fight wouldn't help. He'd have to get used to the occasion. It would be _fine_.

He continued on without a second thought on the matter. His Gligar seemed to be doing fine, occasionally climbing up trees and gliding in front of Malcolm, before waiting lazily for his trainer to catch up.

They fell into a comfortable silence, neither breaking the mood. They hadn't seen an official Pokémon yet, but that was okay, they knew it would happen eventually.

Walking into an open area with a small lake, Malcolm beckoned over his pink bat and sat down at the edge of the water, resting his feet for a moment. Testing to see if the water was clean, he peered in to check for any Pokémon, but found one. Sighing, he filled his water bottle.

Gligar hopped over to the lake and dunked his head without remorse, gulping at the water. Malcolm took a small breather and checked his information on his Gligar.

This one in particular, as he figured out, had an affinity for spicy foods, and he dug through his backpack to take out a can of Pokémon food. Opening and emptying half the can, he set the reusable bowl down for Gligar and resealed the can.

"Eat up, buddy, and we'll continue on in half an hour or so, I wanna take a quick break."

Chewing on his rations, Malcolm scanned his PokéDex lightly, highlighting some of the moves that looked rather appetizing to him. His father's offer was very, _very _tempting, but he also knew that it was more of an empty promise than anything.

Well, maybe empty wasn't the right terminology.

They both knew he'd have the gym badge and second member, or else he wouldn't be looping back through his home town in order to get to Ecruteak. It was mainly just an offer to buy him a TM.

Which, of course, he would never turn down.

Of course, it would help in the long run. Gligar didn't have a LOT of offense to its name, but with Harden and what seemingly unlimited endurance the bat had, he knew that it would be able to take a beating.

He just figured that winning battles would help too.

Regardless, it wasn't a big deal to him. At worst he could save up for his own TM, or even look at different Pokémon vendors, such as breeders, and pick up a relatively cheap Pokémon and work from there.

He had his options.

Calling over Gligar, he packed up his items and they both continued on, the sun shining their path with the wind whistling behind them longingly.

Passing a particularly large tree, Gligar's ears perked up and it swiveled its head at seemingly random, and Malcolm paused his footsteps. "Do you hear something, buddy?"

Gligar didn't acknowledge the statement, which _never _happens, which means something is _definitely _in the area. Suddenly, Malcolm heard the rustling too.

Bursting from the tree line, a small, beige Pokémon cawed at them, the wings flapping in an aggressive manner. Despite being a smaller bird, its beak was impressive, being around five inches long.

"A Spearow!" Malcolm looked down at Gligar, who growled softly, hopping once and baring its fangs. For a happy Pokémon, when Gligar wanted to look mean, it looked _mean_.

The Spearow cawed in what appeared to be a challenge and swooped down at the two. "Crap, uh, Gligar, use Quick Attack!" Malcolm mumbled while he tried to get a Pokémon ready.

The Spearow attempted to swerve but it was too late, with Gligar crashing its stinger into the body of Spearow and sending the poor bird careening into a tree Spearow shot a gust of wind at Gligar, who brushed it off effortlessly and growled again.

Right as Malcolm was turning back around to throw the ball, he watched as the bird decided it wasn't worth the effort and flew away, ignoring the challenge it provoked. "Huh… okay then, good job Gligar, you really kicked that Spearow's butt!"

Gligar lolled his tongue and appeared to preen at the attention, gliding back to Malcolm. With that, they continued on, not seeing anything else.

* * *

Malcolm couldn't see the road much in front of him. Despite the battle from hours earlier, they didn't see many more Pokémon, just some Poochyena and more birds, but he didn't catch anything.

The sun had set a little bit ago, and checking his time, he knew he had to rest for the night. He maneuvered through some foliage and found a relatively small space, and began collecting some branches and stones lying around.

Taking a lighter, he failed a few times lighting the branches into a fire, but after the fourth attempt, with Gligar giggling to himself, he had a small, but effective, fire burning.

Unfurling his sleeping bag, Malcolm rested softly and let Gligar glide from tree to tree, taking in the rush of using the air currents to glide. Closing his eyes for the briefest of moments, he immediately opened them when he heard some rustling.

Walking through the same foliage, a rather tall person was standing before him, arms up in a placating manner. Malcolm, while tall for his age at 5'10, was shorter than him.

Not by a lot, but noticeable.

"Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to disturb ya, but I was looking for a place to spend the night and saw some smoke this way. Do you mind? Safer in numbers, after all. I'm Vincent."

Malcolm nodded and waved calmingly at Gligar, who resumed his gliding activities. "No, I don't mind. Sorry, just can't be too careful. Names Malcolm. You starting your Gym Circuit too?"

The other boy nodded in confirmation, a cheeky grin on his face. "You betcha."

Opening his own sleeping bag and placing it across from Malcolm, Vincent unclipped his two Pokeballs and released his Pokémon. A small, muscular reptilian appeared, grey skin creased from the apparent workouts Vincent had him do, and a much smaller, much darker plant appeared, the grass stems pointing upwards.

"This is Choppy and Seeds, but you can call them Machop and Oddish, respectively. My starter was Machop."

Malcolm waved hi at he both of them and pointed up at the still gliding Gligar. "That's Gligar. He doesn't have a nickname, just prefers his actual species name. You from around here?"

Vincent yawned and shook his head. "The funny thing about that is, I'm actually from Unova, but my brothers did their Gym Circuits in Unova and Kanto, so I decided to do mine in Johto. You?"

The fire seemed to roar over the sounds of the nightlife.

"I was raised in a small city down the road. I'm the first, and to my knowledge only, trainer in my family."

Vincent nodded at the information and dug out the food for his Pokémon. "Sounds fair, man. Is, uh…" he motioned at the now-upside down hanging Gligar.

"Gligar."

"Right, sorry, Gligar, your starter?"

Malcolm nodded the affirmative and cracked a yawn of his own. "He's my only one right now, and quite frankly, I'm a little surprised you have two."

If that sentence bothered the other teen, he didn't show it, merely shrugging his shoulders. "Ah, what can you do."

The crackling of the fire opened a soft, but comforting, lull in the conversation. Every now and then a bug or normal type in the forest would echo, filling up the starlight filled evening skyline.

Jotting down some ideas in his notebook, Malcolm glanced up at Vincent, who was reading a book about plant nutrients to a very interested Oddish. "Where you headed to?"

Vincent paused briefly. "Just over to Violet City, then I'm not sure after that, probably south. I was thinking about maybe taking a detour to visit some extended family."

Malcolm nodded. "Well, I was gonna go to Violet City and loop back around to Ecruteak if you want to join me. Like you said, safer in numbers." Vincent chuckled at his own line being thrown back at him.

"That doesn't sound too bad."

Grinning to himself, he scanned through his PokéDex and looked at the Pokémon currently migrating through the area.

"How did you catch the Oddish? I haven't gotten my second Pokémon yet and want some pointers."

Oddish rose at its name but quickly sunk down, resting in the soil that Vincent dug up. "I'll help you catch a Pokémon tomorrow, but right now let's get some sleep, deal?"

Noting the time, Malcolm quickly agreed to the deal.

* * *

Groaning to himself, the boy rolled over. Gligar rumbled softly and nudged his trainer again, this time putting some more emphasis. Rolling onto his back, Malcolm frowned at the harsh rays of sunshine piercing his face, and more importantly, his beauty sleep.

"The sun is really beating my ass right now…" mumbling to himself, he scrubbed the crust out of his eyes and sat up. Vincent was helping his Machop stretch for the day, and Oddish was basking in any remainder of soil it could.

"Rise and shine, we got a busy day ahead. We aren't leaving this forest without you having another Pokémon, young man, you hear me?" Vincent wagged a finger playfully at Malcolm.

"How old are you, bro?"

"14."

Malcolm scoffed, but held no malice. "Same age as me…"

Vincent grinned in amusement. "Yeah, but I'm about to help you catch a kickass Pokémon, so whose really older?"

Biting back a remark, Malcolm folded his belongings up and stretched, cracking his neck. A busy day indeed.

* * *

The paths were all beginning to look the same. Malcolm and Vincent made small talk about different topics, such as sports teams, hobbies, girls, that sort of thing. Bonding had been going great.

"Have you looked up Pokémon in the area?"

Malcolm opened his notebook and scanned through it. "I saw… Mankey, Poochyena, Spearow, Sentret and some buggers. I was mainly eyeing either the Mankey or Poochyena, honestly."

Vincent stroked his non-existent beard, apparently contemplating the thoughts. "Not a bad idea. I'd say go for the Mankey. They are pretty aggressive fighters and can dish out punishment."

Nodding to himself, Malcolm jotted down a few ideas.

They continued on for a few more hours, not seeing many other trainers to battle. The calm serenity of traveling together was broken every now and then with some talks and discussions about who they liked to watch battle in tournaments.

Malcolm's favorite was Riley Armstead, an early thirties woman, once World Champion, with a _mean _Alolan-breed Raichu. Vincent preferred a few others over a single favorite.

Pausing to take a drink of water, it appeared that a fair amount of Pokémon was waiting for the nighttime, and by proxy, the majority of Pokémon trainers to pack up for the day and rest, as to reduce the chances of getting caught.

Taking his lumps of having only one Pokémon for the moment, Malcolm knew that sooner or later, he would find a companion, and then he would have much more leeway with battling combos and the like.

Vincent was nearby helping his Machop take a quick bath, while Oddish was taking the time to sun bathe under a blanket of freshly dug soil, purring to itself while basking. Vincent looked like a good guy, he certainly cared for his Pokémon after all.

Looking back at his Gligar, who was following along next to his foot by hopping along, Malcolm paused slightly when the bushes next to him rattled, his Gligar at the ready. Vincent and his Pokémon were watching off on the side, curious and somewhat excited.

Barreling through the shrubs was a round ball of tanned fluff, with what appeared to be a pig nose dotting the middle of the scrunched face. Its arms were raised in anger, howling silently as it eyed up Malcolm.

"Well, you were right about the Mankey. Gligar, get ready!"

The Mankey twitched slightly at its name, and before he could follow, was charging, scraping the grass as it prepared to brutalize Malcolm.

Gligar intercepted and took a hit that rocked it slightly, and swung back with the broad side of the stinger, forcing the Mankey to fall back.

"Gligar, use a Harden real quick and prepare for anything the Mankey can do. It'll most likely attempt to attack close to you, so try to grab it!"

The Gligar tensed its body, the moves effects causing its skin to harden and thicken in preparation of the battle. The Mankey charged once again.

Gligar flinched as the brutal monkey attached itself to Gligar and began to attempt to pummel the bat into submission, but Gligar remained vigilant as he readied a Poison Sting and struck the monkey, yelping in pain as he was struck once more.

The Mankey released the grip and continued to strike Gligar. "Gligar, hit it with a Quick Attack!" Dodging a rather crushing blow, Gligar rushed forwards and body-tackled the still enraged aggressor, forcing the Mankey to hit the trees behind them with a painful thud.

Malcolm saw his chance for victory, and didn't want to waste a moment. "Gligar, hit it with a final Quick Attack, this time with your tail!"

Rushing forward with renewed vigor, Gligar hopped into the air, and with all of the force the bruised and battered starter could muster, it struck down with a vicious force, forcing any remaining air in the Mankey's stomach to burst out, the Mankey defeated once and for all.

Malcolm readied his Pokéball and threw it at the downed monkey, the ball rattling softly as it clunked against the ground. It rolled softly before coming to a complete stop.

One shake.

Two shakes.

Three.

Both Malcolm and Gligar sighed in relief as the battle was over, and they had won. Picking up the now contained Mankey, Malcolm dug through his backpack and took out a potion, spraying his Gligar to help heal the wounds. Gligar lolled his tongue and started to lick some of the injuries sustained. He would be fine after a few days' rest.

Digging out the PokéDex, Malcolm put his newest Pokéball under the Dex scanner, clicking the button.

"_Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokémon. An agile Pokémon that lives in trees, it angers easily and will not hesitate to attack anything. This Pokémon is: Male. It currently knows the moves: Scratch, Low Kick, Fury Swipes, and Karate Chop. Its ability is Vital Spirit, which negates artificially-induced sleep in combat."_

Malcolm whistled to himself in awe.

Vincent, meanwhile, was staring in a reminiscent happiness, with his Machop and Oddish watching as well.

"Not bad at all, Malcolm. Not bad at all."

* * *

**Well, this was a long time coming. With this quarantine in effect, I had the spare time to update this. I even saw a story I follow be updated after six(!) years.**

**I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Make sure to socially-distance!**


	3. The City of Violet

**-3-**

**The City of Violet**

**I have a VERY IMPORTANT thing to discuss about this story and the plot at the bottom of the page, so skip there if you want to read about it before it takes place in the story. It involves a topic that is very relevant to today's American society, which I (and I assume a lot of readers) are living in.**

* * *

Malcolm wasn't sure if the term "quiet" is how he would describe the current situation. With two Fighting-types attempting to prove their worth against the other, _especially _a pig-monkey hybrid who was on the brink of losing its sanity, and an equally-prideful reptilian brawler trying to assert pack dominance, things were looking rather _not _quiet.

"Uneventful" was perhaps the more correct term in this situation.

They were almost at Violet City, and thankfully, neither Malcolm nor Vincent had any more encounters with wild Pokémon, or trainers for that matter. They encountered a few, sure, but both of the teens had relatively kept out of trouble and to themselves.

Gligar had grown, not by much, but his claws were thickening, the density and toughness becoming stronger as he fed on more sustenance, and his stinger was growing longer to accommodate his increasing weight.

He was also getting stronger, so to speak. Vincent's Machop would occasionally try to wrestle the poor bat, and despite all odds, while Machop was far stronger physically, Gligar was able to sustain immense pressure. Of course, both weren't trying their hardest to overpower the other, and Machop acted like it didn't bother him, but Malcolm saw how frustrated he would get at times.

That's not even accounting for his newest member of the team, Mankey.

Mankey, Mankey, Mankey.

"That God-forsaken monkey ate all of my bananas!"

Vincent shrugged and continued to brush his Oddish, the plant purring in complete bliss at the sensation. Machop, at hearing how his rival was eating all of Malcolm's food, merely snickered and went back to practicing kicks against a bruised tree.

It was funny, really, how they figured out how Mankey absolutely _loves _bananas.

* * *

_Sipping from his canteen, Vincent eyed Malcolm warily, the latter teen shifting slightly. Gligar, Dialga-blessed as he was, took initiative and was poised to strike, glaring angrily at the Pokéball in his trainer's hands. _

"_Gligar, calm down. We know you can beat this Mankey should it get out of control, and Vincent has two trained Pokémon. Just take a defensive position around me."_

_Side eyeing his companion, Malcolm waited a moment until Vincent was sufficiently out of sight, but still in range to step in. Sighing to himself, Malcolm took out his PokéDex and scanned through some of the more obscure details about Mankey._

_He had read a few days ago that while Mankey were some of the most aggressive of all fighting types, which honestly, he didn't need to read to discover. Scrolling a bit more, he came upon an odd fun fact, however, for placating the violent species. It seemed that as a collective species, Mankey immensely enjoyed bananas for some odd reason._

_He had four on hand from home, which he was hoping would last him until Violet City. However, if feeding these four bananas to Mankey meant he had less of a chance to be violently and horrifically mauled to death, then so be it._

_He carefully gripped a banana behind his back, in case he needed it after all._

_Nodding slightly to his starter, Malcolm tossed the Pokéball a few feet away and waited as the intense light slowly faded, leaving the slightly bruised Mankey to look at him, half curious, half already raging._

"_Hey, buddy, how are you doing?"_

_If the Pokémon in front of him was going to attack, it would have immediately done so upon seeing him, so Malcolm took that as a good sign. In all honesty, he was surprised he wasn't immediately dead._

_Gligar's tail swished back and forth in a faster-than-usual manner._

_Mankey twitched slightly, causing Gligar to jump and hiss very slightly. Mankey hollered incoherently (at least for Mankey standards), and raised his arms._

"_Gligar, stop! Mankey, please calm down, okay?"_

_His pleas fell on deaf ears, the Mankey roaring in anger and pounding its chest, preparing an attack. Gligar hissed, sickly toxin dripping caustically off his stinger, his eyes flaring. _

_Thinking quickly, Malcolm brought out one of the bananas he had. In what was a flash, the Mankey, although still upset, was now sniffing the air. Gligar, not realizing the zealous fanaticism that Mankey revered bananas with, was now more confused than ever._

"_Hey, buddy, do you see this?" _

_The Mankey glanced over before its eyes widened. He had his hands out almost in a… pleading manner? There is no WAY it could be pleading._

_Malcolm moved the banana away hotly. "Now, you can have this banana, IF you agree to calm down, okay?"_

_Mankey slowly nodded, waiting for his food. Malcolm, seeing the poor Pokémon trying his best to be calm, slowly peeled the banana and handed it to Mankey. _

_Mankey began to eat the banana patiently, slowly savoring the taste and texture. Gligar, while still very much confused, had deduced that Mankey was going to listen, so he went back to hopping back and forth._

_Malcolm sighed deeply, half in relief and half in stress, attempting to calm his rapidly beating heart down. He took a moment to watch the monkey slowly untensing, his movements become more subdued. _

"_Alright, now listen to me, please."_

_Mankey took a bite and glanced up at Malcolm._

"_Now that I have caught you, I'm your trainer. You may not enjoy it, but it's true. I want to establish a close family, and I want you to be a part of it. If you don't, I understand too."_

_Mankey paused, weighing the words in his mind. Malcolm watched in hope, a bead of sweat beginning to form on his eyebrow. For such a 'mindless' Pokémon, Mankey seemed to be thinking heavily._

_Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Mankey pointed hesitantly over at Gligar. _

"_Gligar? What about him? Do you not like him?"_

_Mankey shook his head violently, and took another moment to think. After a moment, he pointed again and flexed his arms._

"_You want to be strong like him?"_

_Mankey felt a flare of anger rise up, but after taking another bite of banana, calmed himself. Finally, he pointed at Gligar, pointed at himself, repeated the action, and flexed again. _

"_You want to become strong together?"_

_Mankey howled in delight at finally being understood, and began to jump excitedly up and down, causing Malcolm to chuckle softly. "Okay, okay, I finally understand, thank you for being patient with me, buddy."_

_Malcolm handed over another banana. "I promise I'll feed you as many bananas as you want, buddy." _

_Mankey, in primal excitement, essentially mauled the banana open and began to feed. Taking a moment to himself, Malcolm looked over._

"_Do you want a nickname, by the way?"_

_Gligar sniffed at this in curiosity, before remembering he didn't want one._

_After a moment, Mankey shook his head. His species name was fine with him, he just wanted to become stronger._

_Malcolm let the monkey finish his food and recalled him after a moment. Finally, Vincent stepped out of the trees. "I cannot believe that worked."_

_Malcolm shrugged his shoulders and laughed. "What can I say? It all worked out." _

* * *

While Mankey was slowly training himself rugged, Malcolm and Vincent made small talk. They were about a few hours out from their destination, and while exploring the lush forest, examining both plants and Pokémon alike, was fun and all, both boys couldn't deny they wanted a nice, long bath and a nap or seven.

Malcolm's feet were starting to form bruise and painful blisters. The sunlight breaking through the canopy toppings had given his normally pasty complexion a very slight bronzing, and he did notice how his leg muscles were improving.

All in all, the pros outweighed the cons.

Vincent, on the other hand, didn't benefit from such pleasantries in life. He couldn't tan, no matter what, and he was already relatively muscular for his stature and age. Plus, he was tall as Hell.

His Pokémon belt was feeling a little emptier than he intended for when approaching the city, but he figured if anything, the spot had a few locations he could use in order to expand his arsenal of combatants. It wasn't the _end _of the world, sure, but not preferable.

He'd manage somehow, someway, some form. He was hopping to pick up a grass type, but he wouldn't look a gift Ponyta in the mouth. While the prospect of team building was exciting, he must admit, it wasn't vital at this point. It wasn't essential until way down the line. He knew of the arguments of building towards one specific type versus becoming a generalized team, at least when first starting to become a trainer, and that was okay to him.

There were plenty of generalized trainers that found success at the highest levels. Champion Steven (although arguments could be made about if he was specialized or not ), Champion Clair, and Blue Oak all come to mind immediately. While the other two were champions, Blue was a four-time World Tournament winner himself, and a world-renown and universally hailed and respected gym leader in Kanto, often being cited as the strongest gym trainer to be produced in the region, even out-muscling Giovanni, before the latter was arrested.

It was hard to argue against the sheer influence and respect that Blue's Blastoise commanded on the battlefield, and at one point in his adolescence, Malcolm even wanted to be a specialist in the Water typing! Of course, until he saw Red's Charizard, then it was like the script was flipped on its head before the movie could even begin production.

Despite whatever his previous thoughts were, Malcolm knew that he wanted a generalized team. He wasn't talented, or the most tenacious, or even the most knowledgeable about the innerworkings of raising a champion level team, but the one thing that he _did _know was that his team would be versatile. They would be fierce. They would _be_.

"Got any plans for when we arrive?"

Breaking out of his daytime thoughts, Malcolm glanced curiously over at his traveling partner. It was still about an hour and a half until they arrived, and the sun was still high up in the air. Gligar sniffed at something in the air.

"Besides settling in and taking a fat shower? Not much, really. I do want to explore the city, maybe take a few photos, try an' snag myself a third Pokémon before taking on the gym."

Vincent nodded and threw a stone into the forestry. "Do you have an idea about what your third will be? Or hoping for, anyways."

The boy simply shrugged in response. "Whatever floats my way, I guess."

They walked for a bit more until they saw the city come into view, some of the gorgeous and towering buildings coming into view. It was almost dark, but if he was guessing, the two of them had a few more hours until it would be nighttime, so it was the perfect time to arrive and unwind, maybe catch dinner somewhere in the city.

As they continued their casual walk to the city entrance, they noticed a few guards. It was hard to tell from a distance, but it appeared as if they were rather stern, their faces cold and unwavering as they were waiting at the city gates. The two teens glanced at each other.

Recalling their partners and taking a few more steps towards the guards, Vincent turned his head towards Malcolm and shrugged.

"Good afternoon you two," the shorter of the two security guards started jovially enough, tipping the brim of his grey hat towards them. "can I get a name and a reason for visiting Violet City?"

Malcolm raised an eyebrow but didn't question the man, while Vincent took out his ID and handed it to the guard, who scanned over it for a moment and handed it back. "I'm here for the gym, just started the circuit." The teen said after a moment.

Meanwhile, Malcolm continued to dig through his bag until he found his PokéDex, and handed it to the other guard, who in turn slotted the device into a machine next to him.

"Malcolm Payne, for the record, and same as him, I'm here to get my first gym badge."

The machine beeped and removed the device, and a green check mark flashed on the screen, and the guard handed the device back. Malcolm returned it to his bag.

"Sorry for the hassle, boys," the guard remarked, "but a lot of the more… 'unsavory', have been entering the city recently, and Faulkner chewed our asses for letting a majority in, so we are working double time now."

The second guard procured two folded sets of paper and handed one to both Malcolm and Vincent. "Town maps, including our Pokémon Center, Gym and various lodging for trainers. If you two have any questions our security is more than happy to provide help. Enjoy, fellas."

Malcolm and Vincent nodded their thanks and entered the city. In the distance they could see the towering… well, tower, that Violet City was relatively famous for, housing a variety of different types, some Pokémon rarer than others. Other than the massive tower, this city was rather quiet, the more unassuming out of the major gym locations, anyways. Certainly, it wasn't home to a dragon clan, anyways.

If the yawn from Vincent wasn't indicating enough, it was the stomach growl from Malcolm that told the entire tale; they both need a good rest and a good meal.

The stone roads were barren of any type of vehicle, and for being a public walking space, it was rather pristine. The cobblestone was freshly washed, leaving a slight sparkle, and only a few small grime spots and grounded and beat in dirt spots hinted at how truly old this town was.

"There is trainer lodging right down the road," Vincent said, studying the map while Malcolm was busy sightseeing. "there are a few food spots listed here, depending on what you are in the mood for. Kalosian or Alolan food?" he prodded, raising an eye.

"Hoenn."

Vincent couldn't hide his grin. "My man, sounds like a deal. Wanna wash up, maybe nap, and grab a bite of dinner?"

Kicking a few pebbles into a nearby bush, Malcolm nodded.

* * *

Trainer lodging, in almost every region, was a bit of a controversial point, mainly sparking arguments and debates on lawmaking between trainers and non-trainers, those who were lawyers or human doctors or whatever non-trainers did.

By all means, trainer lodging was free for trainers, paid for by taxpayers and laws securing that traveling and green-eared handlers could learn and gain experience without worrying about going into debt.

However, it was easy to see why non-trainers were upset that their money was going to interests that didn't immediately help or benefit them.

The point being, Malcolm and Vincent didn't have to pay for _shit_.

The two of them walked in, handed over their trainer IDs, answered a verification question, and they had a booking of two beds in separate rooms for the low low cost of free.

Malcolm didn't want to say it felt great, but it felt _great_.

In the words of the "wonderfully generous God" himself, Malcolm was granted the first shower when they arrived to their room, and Vincent took the second.

Oddish and Machop were relaxing amongst themselves, while Gligar was cleaning his tail on a nearby chair, circling himself slowly. Vincent was reading a book while relaxing on his bed, while the other teen was calling his mother.

"Yes, yes, I know mom, I just got done showering,"

A few noises came from the phone, while Vincent turned the page.

"no, I actually arrived with someone else, we decided to travel together,"

…

"mom, relax, he's my age, he's-"

Vincent glanced up, his eyes seemingly laughing for him.

"yes, I trust him, he helped me catch my first wild Pokémon!"

Another page.

"Okay, well, I'm just telling you I reached Violet City, I'll call you when I'm headed back… okay, okay… I love you too, mom, goodbye."

Malcolm hung his phone up and gave a heavy sigh.

"Everything alright there, champ?" his voice, while the question was sincere, Malcolm could _hear _the humor and mirth in his tone, as if it was dancing over his head.

Oddish dug itself into a potted plant next to the window pane and Machop laid himself down on the tiled section of the room.

"Not. Another. Word." Malcolm grit out, but his voice was playful. Not serious. "and are we still gonna grab some seafood?"

Vincent put his bookmark in place and nodded. "Of course, I'm starving!"

* * *

**Short chapter, super short by my standards, I know, but I have a few issues I want to go over before anything else.**

**Someone PM'd me if Malcolm and Vincent were gonna be a pairing, and my answer is no, they are not. I only intend for them to be best friends, confiding in each other, but no romance between them.**

**Romance as a whole won't be super prominent in this story. Malcolm will have two love interests, but those will be relatively minor plot points in this story.**

**And the big topic.**

**Before I mention or dive into any of this, I'd like to disclose I've been planning this entire thing since early-mid 2019.**

**Originally, my story was going to have a 'villain' group with the idea that they were a group of people who have suffered/been let down by the Pokémon government bodies and protective forces, such as the champion.**

**This group was going to want reform the government and demand change, demand protection for everyone, and they were going to do it by force.**

**They would have the support of a lot of civilians, and there would be a lot of focus on topics such as riots, morality, grey decisions such as good motives but going about it through aggressive ways, the human nature, and so on.**

**It would show both sides, how the government, such as Champion Clair, is attempting to work with people, while also showing how the rebellion isn't necessarily wrong, and how their ideals are rooted in genuine misdeeds committed against them.**

**If you live in the USA, or follow the news over here, you can understand why I'm hesitant to put this into my story, or keep this plot point.**

**This was my intention from the start, ever since I planned this, that Malcolm would see both sides and genuinely struggle with which side is correct, and which side he would want to support. I planned on him developing with the higher ups of the rebellion, and seeing their sides and hardships and struggles not just as individuals, but as a society. How they feel trapped and left with no other options but the loudest way possible to get their point across.**

**I'm genuinely not sure how I want to proceed with this story, and have been asking quite a few friends about what I should do, and it's been kinda split down the middle.**

**I wasn't sure how the (small) viewer count would take this, since I planned on introducing the villain group and rioters and rebellion in this chapter, which is why this chapter is significantly shorter than the previous two, as I removed a LOT of content that was originally meant for this chapter.**

**If anyone wants to give their thoughts about this, I'd appreciate it.**

**I'm thinking of three possible things.**

**One, I leave the plot unchanged, and continue with my original story as I have it planned.**

**Two, I focus strictly on Malcolm's journey as a trainer and build around his various experiences as a trainer, his relations and bonds with people as he explores the world, and explores who he is as a person after finally being out of the grasp of his family.**

**Three, I focus on a new villain. I say "new" because this villain WAS a part of the original plot, but this villain is essentially not political in the slightest, and is a malicious force going against Malcolm.**

**I'm more leaning towards the second option, but that would mean essentially no real danger in this story, which is okay, honestly, I'm fine writing a story with no real stress, just focusing on a teenager growing up, and I'd essentially write this like a Coming-Of-Age story, which I have a **_**huge **_**soft-spot for.**

**If anyone wants to let me know their thoughts, I'd greatly appreciate it.**

**Stay safe everyone.**


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